Wolves without Teeth
by 3iggy
Summary: Waiting is never a fun game. Tension runs through the veins of the Resistence as they stare into a silent galaxy. The First Order has gone cold. But, no one is naive enough to think that it has vanished entirely, so they prepare and wait.(Should mention that this is totally a Reylo) (The title is the name of the song that came on while I wrote the summary...titles are hard)
1. A Taste of Love

Rey was in love.

The plate of food was beautiful beyond words. She could write epic poetry about food, she was sure of it. There was nothing in the entire galaxy more wonderful than a cafeteria buffet. She didn't mind the amused glances that her comrades cast her way as she slide a bit of everything onto her plate and then took it back to her seat and admired it for a moment or two before shoveling it into her mouth.

"Will you ever get tired of this slop?" Poe laughed.

"You try eating water based bread for most of your life and then you'll know how good you've got it here," Rey replied after swallowing a buttery bite of roll.

"No thanks, dehydrated flight rations are bad enough," he frowned.

Rey knew that she ate too much, but she didn't care. She had a lifetime of decent food to catch up on, and she had more than enough physical activity to stay in shape, not that she cared one lick about her figure.

"Hey guys," Finn sat down next to her.

"Buddy," Poe winked.

Rey gave Finn a nod as she tore into another roll.

"Anything interesting transpire since breakfast?" He started to pull apart his own roll. Rey noticed that Finn always tore his food into smaller chunks before eating it. It was weird.

"Nope," Poe slouched back into his seat and brought his arms up behind his head. "All quiet."

Rey shook her head, as she savored the tangy sour slice of kapow fruit she'd just inserted into her mouth.

"You guys are wonderful conversationalists," Finn stabbed at his own food with a fork.

"Sorry," Rey smiled with her cheeks stuffed like a chipmunk. She swallowed. "I really do the same thing everyday. Mediate, listen to Master Skywalker, move stuff around with my mind, and then join the rest of you for combat exercises. I thought that—when I was a scavenger—the days of normal people probably varied, but that's been proven false."

"Yeah," I know the feeling. "I should be in the outer rim, soaking up some sun, getting my rest on, but here I am training to fight the greatest evil in the galaxies," Finn grumbled. "I must be out of my mind."

"You've obviously never been to the outer rim," Poe grinned.

Finn leveled him with a flat stare.

Poe straightened up an looked around the cafeteria. "I don't know, guys. I feel edgy. There's been hardly any aggression from the Order in over a year. Something just ain't right."

"We did destroy their scary Star Killer planet," Rey stated. "I'm sure that was a tiny bit of a set back. Not even the great Order has unlimited resources." This was an old conversation. Everyone had braced themselves for trouble in the weeks following "The Victory" as a few of the Resistance fighters liked to refer to it. When no retaliation came, things settled into a monotonous and weary routine. It was nearly torture not to be attacked at this point. So many people—like Poe—lived on the edge. Waiting for trouble. Maybe the Order was pursuing some kind of psychological terror strategy.

"You also kicked their freaky knight's ass," Finn chimed in brightly, disrupting Rey's musings. Although he spent two months recovering from that particular incident, he always lite up at the thought of Kylo Ren being saber-whipped by the small woman at his side.

And for the thousandth time Rey reminded him, "We got lucky with Kylo Ren." Even his name still gave her chills. She wasn't afraid of him, exactly. But it was hard to shake the feeling of his mind reaching into hers or the ghastly sight of him advancing on her with his crimson blade slashing through forests of green. "It would be incredibly stupid to underestimate him."

"I hope he's toast," Poe inserted. "No one saw him leave the planet."

"If only we could be so fortunate," Rey attacked her dessert, even talk of Kylo Ren couldn't dampen her appetite. "He was very much alive, if a little muddled, the last I saw of him. I am reluctant to believe that his master would leave such a valuable commodity behind before he has something to replace it with. I would bet my last roll on him being on one of the ships that escaped the base."

They fell silent.

"How's your training going?" Finn asked after awhile. It was one of his favorite filler questions. Rey couldn't understand why he was incapable of sitting in silence.

"Same as ever. The Master and I have long philosophical conversations about the forces of light and darkness. He instructs, I follow. Life goes on," Rey thought about going back for thirds.

"Are you going to become a Jedi?" Finn wiggled his eyebrows.

Rey sighed. She wondered if people pestered Kylo Ren about if he were going to become a Sith? Probably not.

"I'll be whatever it is that I'm meant to be," she snapped. All of her life, Rey hadn't needed to think about being anything. She didn't consider the future—aside from hoping that her family might return for her one day—she just lived each day as it came. She didn't like that people wanted her to decide her future so soon. She'd only just begun to live her own life.

"Let up on the inquisition, Finn." Poe cuffed his friend on the side of his head.

"Get off me man, I was just making conversation," Finn fumed.

"It's alright," Rey sighed. "I can tell you what I am. I'm a fighter for the Resistance who happens to be force-sensitive. But, I won't let that rule my entire life. It won't define my existence. I'll use my abilities for the good of the galaxy, but no one will use me."

"Amen," Poe held up his glass in salute.

Rey smiled.

The three friends relaxed, but not for long. A siren went off signaling an unexpected assembly.

* * *

This is by far the scariest thing I've ever posted.

Thanks for taking the time to read, I tried to catch the typos. But, I want to be very transparent. I am a new Star Wars fan. I grew up believing that I didn't like things that happened in space, and then I fell in love with Doctor Who...and then Star Trek...and then Firefly, and now Star Wars. Having said that, I've never written anything that even resembled science fiction. I've never worked with so many characters. I am completely out of my depth.

But, I had to write this. It has been crawling around in my head for weeks, and I want to sleep at night.

Please be gentle with me if I mess up canon stuff or terminology. I still think of the force as space magic...so some areas may get bumpy...I may goof up, and I may resort to making stuff up in the end.

Lastly, I am so onboard for some Reylo! I am working under the firm belief that Rey is a new bred and not a Solo or SKywalker. Fingers crossed.

Peace

P.S. I am so open to constructive criticism. You are a valued customer. Thank you, come again.


	2. High Tea

General Hux stood aboard his destroyer regarding the darkness of space spread out before him on the observation deck. Normally, the view could sooth any feelings that he wished to do away with, and yet, he could feel the corners of his mouth pulling down into a set and pronounced grimace. He was still furious over the destruction of Starkiller Base, and he partially blamed the knight at his side for the disaster. He'd had such high expectations for that particular project. The General sighed and stirred his tea, utterly unhappy to find himself once more in the company of Supreme Leader Snoke's lone wolf.

Pale blue eyes flickered over the uncovered face of his equally silent companion. Hux was still unaccustomed to the man's features which were now almost always openly displayed. Hux understood why Ren had chosen to hide that face of his for so long. It was too young, and too pretty to be intimidating, at first glance at least. After catching a glimpse of the scar that now ran down one side of the knight's face, he no longer seemed so inexperienced. And, Hux knew that once those dark eyes found a target they were inescapable, unstable. The general preferred predictability and he didn't always get that from the knight. But, Hux was not afraid of Ren, he just didn't trust him.

"Happy to be back onboard," the General finally grew weary of the oppressive silence that hung around Ren like an ever-present dark cloud.

Ren's black eyes swiveled in his direction, the only indication that he'd heard the general speak at all. He didn't reply immediately. "I'm ready to finish my task," his voice was monotonous even without the mask. Kylo Ren's emotions showed only in the twitching of his facial muscles—until they overwhelmed him.

"Maybe this time you can manage to locate and dispense with the Jedi without destroying an entire base," Hux tapped his fingers on the side of his teacup and smirked. It had taken him nearly a year to regroup and reorder his military, postponing most of his grand plans to restore order to the galaxy.

"Perhaps, you'll be able to keep your own soldiers in their places," Kylo Ren did not need to smirk. Hux wasn't sure that he'd ever seen the man's lips curve into even a semblance of a smile.

"What will you do with the girl when you catch her?" Hux asked.

Ren's eyes took on a certain distant look that Hux was growing used to, "That depends."

The General waited for the knight to continue but eventually felt the need to prompt him. "On what?"

"On how open she is to a little friendly persuasion," Ren kept his gaze forward. Watching the stars drift by. Hux wondered if he was searching for or listening to the force. The General would never admit that he was curious about the mystic's powers. He had no idea how the man beside him wielded this insubstantial weapon that Hux could neither see nor feel for himself.

"Let's hope that she's grown a little more reasonable," Hux stirred his tea once more and let the silence return to reign between them.

"The Finalizer has resurfaced in the Borderland," General Organa informed the gathered members of the Resistance. Before the General could force out another syllable, muttered questions and electronic beeps rumbled through the crowd. This was the moment that everyone had anticipated. It was almost a relief to hear news of their long quiet enemy. Yet, they all knew what the reappearance of the Star Destroyer meant.

"We don't know of the destination of the ship or anything about its current schemes. However, the Finalizer's presence in the Trans-Hydian territories can only signal a return to the Order's original terrorism. As we feared, this recent lull in aggression was most likely a result of the Order's need to rebuild after," here she paused to smile despite the gravity of the situation, "The Victory."

She waited for the triumphant hoots and gestures to subside before continuing. "We must remain on high alert in the coming days. Our sources in the Broaderland will keep us informed as best they can about the ship's movements and we must be ready to circumvent the Order in any way possible. The Republic, after the events that took place on Starkiller Base, no longer denies the threat that the Order poses to intergalactic peace and democracy—imperfect as that democracy may be—but, like the Order, the Republic is limited by resources. And, after the destruction unleashed upon the Hosnian System, has struggled to recuperate. We can only hope that the preparations made by the Republic will be enough to help us stop any further assaults from the Order. Thank you," the General nodded at the gathered assembly and returned to the command room with her officials rushing in her wake.

"It's about time," Poe turned to Rey and Finn as their trio exited the assembly.

"I don't know how anyone can think that this is a positive piece of intel," Finn shrugged off his jacket as they emerged into the open light of day.

Rey watched people sprinting off on their individual errands and tasks. A nervous energy permeated the base. Groups huddled and discussed the news in fervid whispers, which she found amusing. But, the news was unsettling to her. A thousand questions warred in her mind for attention—chief among them was raven-haired and frightful. "We knew they'd come back," she eyed Finn, sympathetically.

"Yeah, I know, better than any of you, but the peace was nice while it lasted," he rubbed a hand across the back of his neck anxiously.

"It was an artificial peace, buddy." Poe dropped an arm across Finn's shoulders and gave him a friendly shake. "It's better to have it out with the Order, hand their ass to them, and send them packing for good."

"Easier said than done," Master Skywalker spoke from behind them.

"We know it well, sir." Poe grinned. "Come on Finn, let's leave these two to their own concerns. It probably wouldn't hurt to fit in a few extra drills." Rey endured a rough shoulder pat from Poe as her friends hurried off to return to their own training. She wasn't particularly excited about her own. The current state of her mind was not going to make today's lesson easy.

* * *

A/N: Thanks once again for reading. And, I'm sorry the chapters are small. I'm working on two other projects and it is surprisingly difficult to ascertain the proper geographical information for this universe, at least for me. I really have no idea where the First Order is based or what areas/planets/systems are under the influence of who? I'm not sure that was a question. Anyway, I am trying my best to write something decent and sensible, so let me know if you have any suggestions. Or if you see typos, I normally try to catch those, but no one is perfect...except maybe Kylo Ren...he's kind of perfect in a manic, patricidal (is that a word?), kind of way :)

Cheers!


	3. Chapter 3

Luke, or Master Skywalker, as Ren thought of him, was all and nothing like she'd expected. There was something still youthful in the way his eyes twinkled when he was interested in something she had to say, or when he enjoyed discussing the intricacies of a practice. The bearded man had lost none of his vigor, and Rey often found herself on the receiving end of their lightsaber duels.

Rey had kept the blue lightsaber. Although, it had belonged to Luke once, a very long time ago, he assured her that it had taken a liking to her. Now, the metal casing was cold to the touch and reassuring, it felt like an extension of her own person. And, Luke quickly became an extension of the little family she'd put together all for herself, along with Poe and Finn. She was training for dark and dangerous days, but she'd never been happier.

"Where did you learn that?" Luke asked during one of their early sessions referring to an aggressive advance. Instinctively, Rey had charged him, blade swinging angrily.

"I don't know," she replied. Taking a step back she tried to think about it. The only other person she'd fought with in this manner was Ren. She inhaled and prepared to tell her master something that she'd kept to herself.

"On Starkiller base," she paused to swipe at a strand of hair that had fallen into her face, "Kylo Ren chased me to a ledge." The memory was fresh in her mind although it'd taken place months before on a snow covered landscape that in no way was similar to the heat and humidity of the jungle ensnared base on D'Qar.

"Yes?" Luke took a seat on the ground, inviting her with a wave of his robotic hand to do the same.

Rey extinguished the saber and sank to the ground, crossing her legs as she did so. "His saber clashed with mine, right here above my head," she motioned to the air above her. "I felt my knees weaken and my spine ached from keeping me upright, balanced. That monster looked me dead in the eyes," she brought two fingers and waved them over the bridge of her nose, "and told me that he could teach me. That he could show me the ways of the force, and then I just closed my eyes and reached out. I found something and took it, I just went with what the force was giving me. It was much like what I did today." She paused and turned her head away before finishing. "Something inside me went after Ren. Something…dark. He was wounded, but I was still afraid of him, and I wanted to end him. I knew that if I killed him then and there, no one would have to fear him again."

"I see," he examined her. "But you fought it?"

"Of course," she gave him a wide-eyed gaze. "Taking out an armed and armored stormtrooper who is shooting at me is a much different thing than driving a saber through an already wounded man who happened to be staring right up into my face. Even though I am not sure that I was right to let him live."

"You acted with honor and compassion. Kylo Ren is dangerous, but he is also one of the only force users remaining, to kill him would be a waste, especially when there is still hope that he might be redeemed," Luke replied sadly.

"You don't honestly believe that monster has any light left in him?" Ren was astonished.

Her master was silent for a moment."People are complicated beings, Rey. We don't know anything about Kylo Ren. I only had a shallow knowledge of my nephew, or I would've realized that he was in danger." Luke reached over and picked up Rey's lightsaber. "This weapon once belonged to a man that I was sure could never find redemption. That man died to save my life. He gave up everything that he'd worked for because of his love for me."

Rey knew the legends, she didn't know that the weapon that had become such an important part of her had once belonged to Darth Vader. Her blood ran cold at the thought and somewhere in the back of her mind she heard an enraged voice. _That lightsaber belongs to me_. She gave herself a mental shake and tried to pay attention.

"Don't be afraid, Rey." Luke's words jarred her further. Ren had said the very same thing to her.

"Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering. That's what master Yoda used to tell me anyway," Luke held the lightsaber out to her.

"Besides, this thing spent far more time with Master Kenobi than it did Anakin Skywalker, or me for that matter," He smiled.

Rey nodded and accepted the weapon from her master. She heard the truth in his words. She felt them to be true. For a short while they sat in peaceful silence.

"Ren moved like you do sometimes, when he was pursuing me," she blinked and wondered why she'd said that. "He blocked every desperate hit I tried to land on him, but it seemed so effortless—until the end."

To her surprise, Luke actually laughed at this mention of his nephew.

"I would've loved to see you disarm him, he was always such a strong and arrogant child. He would get so frustrated with me when I'd simply block his attacks. I'm amused that he'd employ that tactic on you at all, it isn't his way," Luke frowned. "Although, his interest in teaching you, turning you from the light, could certainly account for that."

"There's no chance of that happening. I've seen the inside of his head, that's enough of an incentive even when one neglects to consider the moral implications of such an act," she picked at a blade of grass.

"Perhaps," Luke stood up. "That is enough for today." And, they never spoke of Kylo Ren again until the afternoon of the assembly.

O00o0o0o0o0o0o

"What do you think of the report?" Rey asked her mentor as she climbed up the hill that lead to their training ground.

"Only that it doesn't surprise me," Luke replied.

"Do you think Kylo Ren is on the Finalizer?" She asked.

"Ren will be wherever Snoke wants him, that may very well be on the ship," his answer was short, Rey decided to halt her inquisition.

"Leia doesn't want us going into any skirmishes together," Luke said as he breached the hill and walked into the shade of the trees.

That was why he was being short.

"She'd rather we not perish together," Rey nearly smiled, nearly.

"I think she's afraid of what would happen if we both fell into the hands of The First Order," Luke grunted.

"Does she think that I'd turn to the dark side if they tortured you?" Rey's eyes went wide, the look was so comical that Luke chuckled at her despite the seriousness of their conversation.

"I doubt that, but having to watch each other be tortured may not be an ideal situation," Luke considered.

"Especially if the one being tortured is me," Rey grinned. But, her smile quickly faded. She wasn't sure what was happening. The hair on her arms stood on end and the air seemed to crackle around her, then the feeling and the sound faded away, leaving a hollow ringing in their wake.

"You felt that?" Luke was suddenly serious.

"Was that what you'd call a disturbance?" Rey asked.

"We need to get back to the base," Luke was striding down the hill before his sentence was finished.

* * *

A/N: So I read the novelization of the movie to try to get a better feel for how to write this thing. I'm not sure it helped with my execution, but I did notice that the novel extended some of the scenes. Rey's brush with the darkside being one of them. Also, I'm not really certain that anyone is actually reading this. I may just be sitting here explaining things to myself. That seems very existential of me. Or maybe not. I really don't know what I am doing with my life.


	4. Fair Play

Rey grasped the straps of her restraint harness while her eyes roved over the Resistance members that waited in the transport ship along side her and Finn. Some of them managed to laugh and talk as if this was only a drill—that they weren't heading toward a tiny, insignificant, planet in the Borderlands.

Just a few hours before, Luke and Rey had rushed into the command center to find that General Organa had felt the disturbance too. Minutes later a report came in from an intelligence agent in the Near-Western quadrant of the neutral zone. Three planets in the Edena System had fallen to the Order. They'd surrendered their own autonomy without a fight, but one small planet in the system was defying the Order. One tiny planet with three settlements.

"We have to help these people," General Organa said. "They've asked for assistance in evacuating their settlements."

"What do you think we can do?" A bearded man, who Rey could never remember the name of, asked.

"I was hoping that some of you may have suggestions?" The general regarded the small gathering with interest.

No one spoke for several long minutes.

"How large are these settlements, General?" Asked Poe.

"Actually, they are quite small. Alter Prime was being investigated to determine it's suitability for sustaining a full colony. Only a handful of agro-scientists, their families, and service workers are stationed in each area," Organa replied.

"So we could escort a trio of freighters with a squad of x-wings and simply drop in and scoop them up?" Poe asked, one dark eyebrow raising skyward.

"Yes, but I'd take a few combat fighters as well, just in case you run into any trouble on the ground. If we can avoid engaging the Order directly, we should, for now at least. Are there any objections to this plan? Modifications?"

"I can go as well," Luke chimed in from the sidelines.

"No, why don't you let Rey go this time. It's a simple evacuation, there should't be any fighting," No one argued with the General.

"Fine," Luke said, unhappily. Everyone knew that Organa didn't love the idea of sending Rey into battle, but she respected the woman's worth as a fighter, and she accepted that other force-sensitive persons could eventually be found, but Luke was the only Jedi Master left in the galaxy. He was irreplaceable whether he liked it or not.

Thus, Rey sat in the tin-can ship and waited to reach the Borderland.

Everything appeared still and calm when they dropped out of hyperspace above Alter Prime. Clutching her old staff, Rey sucked in a deep breath and waited for the ship to land. As soon as it touched the earth, the doors sprang open, flooding the compartment with light.

"Come on," Finn offered Rey a hand once she'd unbelted the harness.

"Yeah," she let him help her up. "The quicker we get these people onboard and get off this rock the better." Rey just couldn't shake the anxious feeling that had settled deep in her stomach.

Shielding her eyes against the glare of Alter Prime's sun, Rey stepped off the ship and surveyed the small settlement—except that is wasn't as small as she'd expected. The Resistance agent for this system had already contacted the leader of the planetary investigation unit and the settlement was hastily preparing for evacuation. Men, women, and children dashed out of buildings and makeshift labs, each carrying only a bag of their own belongings, most were assembling in front of the freighter ship, anxious looks on their faces.

"There has to be three-hundred people here," Rey looked up at Finn. "They won't all fit. We'll have to make several trips."

"It's not ideal, but we'll make it work. At least they've been busy." Said the combat leader of Finn's squad, Hardy, coming up behind them. "Keep sharp, if the Order drops in we'll need all the warning we can get." He moved toward the assembled group of settlers, "Alright, I want woman and children first, the ship can fit around a hundred of you at the time. We'll try to get this done in three trips. Just stay calm and keep your sentimentality to a minimum. Everyone will be in the same place soon enough."

"This could take hours," Rey chewed on a finger-nail. Every minute that passed made her more nervous.

"Yeah well, I am going to keep get these people settled onboard and see what I can do to speed this show up," Finn glanced down at her.

"I think I'll take a look around," Rey snapped her staff into its holder on her back.

"Just stay out of trouble, and don't go too far," Finn frowned.

"Do I ever get into trouble?" Rey flashed him a smile as she ambled off toward the boarders of the settlement.

* * *

She moved like a doe in her fawn colored robes through the autumn-crushed grasses, one with the vibrant colors of the winter-dying world. Although, she was too far away for him to make them out, Ren knew that her hazel eyes—the ones burned into his memory—were alive with wonder. It washed over him in waves. She knew so little of hiding, or perhaps she was still naïve enough to not think it necessary.

Ren was at once disappointed and intrigued to find that Rey, and not Luke, was the force-user on world. He relaxed slightly, knowing that today was not the day that his mission would see its fulfillment. Deciding that there was no need for a confrontation, he settled for watching the woman. It never hurt to observe the enemy, even if his knew this one better than she knew herself.

The little scavenger carried her staff, leaving the far more powerful lightsaber attached to her belt. His lightsaber. Ren waited for the anger to rise up and haze his mind as it so often did, but it remained quiet, sequestered in some deep corner of his soul, bidding its time for a better target. This surprised him a little. He wanted to hate this woman, he needed to hate her. She'd already caused him too much trouble.

His eyes followed Rey as she circled a large, molting, yarma tree, its speckled bark peeling like strips of thin paper. Humor, carelessness, and an infectious frivolity coursed through Ren as her face lit into a wide grin, and then he watched as she attacked the hapless foliage. He could not handle these tickling, rollicking, emotions. They were useless, as was her assault on the tree. But, he continued to feel her delight as she slammed into it with her staff.

Ren cringingly endured the emotions that Rey tossed mindlessly into the Force around them. He allowed them to flicker over his skin and lighten his head, realizing that this was the feel of her, this was her signature. If he ever needed to find her, and he was sure that the day would come when he did, all he'd have to do was trace these ridiculous sensations. But, for now he admired her quickness, and the grace that she'd acquired since the last time he saw her wielding a weapon. And, he envied the none too subtle happiness that she found in simply moving her body, using her muscles and mind, to smack around a tree.

Then she suddenly stopped, and her nimble little face spun in his direction, like a deer scenting danger.

* * *

A/N: So after having read the novelization, I firmly believe that Ren knows who Rey is, or has a very good guess. How he knows this? Why he knows this? I don't know, but I'm sure we'll find out. OH! And, I read an article on Nerdist today where JJ Abrams told a kid at an interview thing that Rey's parents were not in episode VII! So, unless ole JJ is lying, Ren and Rey shouldn't be cousins, and are definitely not siblings! Yay, no incest! Hopefully.

Thanks for reading! I am getting a little more comfortable with this world and these characters so I feel like the prose is loosening up a bit, which will hopefully make for better reading.

Adieu


	5. Complications

Attention caught, Rey scanned the tree-line, but it wasn't movement that had drawn her eye. This was different, a feeling—something was watching her. Allowing instinct to guide her, Rey walked cautiously toward the shadowed entrance of the forest, staff heavy in her hands.

Gently, she allowed her awareness to extend behind her own body. It sweep over the golden field, past the swaying grasses, until it flooded into the trees. At first, nothing was out of place, small life forms scurried in the underbrush, avians hopped on branches and took to the sky. Her guard began to relax until her senses smacked into something that was entirely too human.

More curious than cautious, Rey stalked, cat-like, into the trees, eyes wide. Feeling with the Force, she didn't have to wait long to discover who she'd sensed. The low rumble of a voice she remembered flared to life behind her.

"Are you looking for me?"

Rey's heart leapt into her throat, but before turning to face the owner of the voice that was curdling her blood, she tried to analyze the emotions bubbling between them. He was perfectly calm. She turned slowly, hands still clutching the staff. The first thing she saw was the scar, plain as day, running down his once flawless face.

Kylo Ren's dark eyes glanced at her staff, then settled on her face. She wanted to look away from his too knowing gaze, but held her ground.

The knight's head tilted slightly before he spoke. "You're not going to hit me with that."

She wasn't sure if his statement was a question or a command. Hitting him was not what she wanted to talk about, she was surprised that the hatred she'd harbored for him over a year ago—a year that felt like a thousand seasons as opposed to four—was mangled.

"Why?" She whispered, barely loud enough for the wind to catch the word and carry it to his ears.

"Because, it's useless," He said without bravado.

"No, not that! Why did you do it! Why did you have to kill him?" Rey's voice was raw, she could sense the grief well up in her soul. Grief she'd seen painted of the General's face. Grief garbled by a Wookie tongue. Grief of a young woman yearning to know more of a kindred soul. Rey had never thought about asking him why, didn't know that would be the first thing she thought of when she saw him again. Yet, she had to know, had to ask.

"He wasn't there to hurt you," She snapped the staff back onto its harness. He was right about it being useless in this case, however, she made sure to keep her hand away from the saber at her belt.

"I don't need to explain anything to you. I owe you nothing," his words were flat, but not cold.

"Fine," she made to go around him.

Ren stepped in her path, nearly causing her to bump into him. She jumped back, a snarl ripping from her throat before she could stifle it. Ren stared down into her face as she glared up into his. Everything within her wanted to run. It was not the time to fight Ren, she knew that. She felt it. However, there was no point in carrying on a pointless conversation with the enemy, and if more members of the Order were on world, she needed to tell the others.

"It's only us," he spoke as soon as the thoughts took form in her mind. "That's interesting," he said, musingly. "You no longer want to kill me."

She knew that this was not a question.

"No, I don't. I have no desire to harm another living thing, unnecessarily. Horrid as you may seem to me—as much as I think you deserve to be hurt—I am not like you," Rey replied.

"You're weak," quick as a heartbeat, his gloved hand seized her chin, forcing her eyes to stare directly into his. "What has he done to your rage? Where is the passion I saw the last time we met?" She was certain that he was seeing every thought she'd every had, every feeling, every memory.

"Passion is always turned inward. It's self-serving. I want my life to be a work of compassion. Now, let go of my face," her hand had landed on the saber automatically. She heard it flare to life before she knew that her finger had hit the trigger.

"This isn't the time or place for that," Ren held up a hand between them, and Rey felt the slow stiffening of her limbs, yet it was not as quick, not as effortless as the last time. She could fight him off.

"Stop," she commanded, throwing her own Force-weight behind her words.

Releasing her, Ren stepped back, Rey extinguished the saber and returned it to her belt. "You're right, this isn't the time. I have people to evacuate and you have worlds to conquer." And yet, she wanted to fight him, to savor the power that had rushed through her veins before. It was so easy to feel so contradicted in his presence. He had stepped out of the shadows for only a few moments and already she was at war with herself. Oh, she did want to be as powerful as he was. She wanted to be as effective. But, the cost was too high. More distressing still, she wanted to pick him apart like one of her atrophying machines, to find the meaning behind the monster. What parts were so miserably managed as to create this savage demon with an angel's face? Why did it matter?

"Will you let me pass?" Rey needed to leave, to flee his complicated mien.

"You could still come with me. I could teach you things that Skywalker never could. You'd never have to fear anything again," his eyes watched her closely.

"That's a lie. I would have to fear myself, and I'd have to fear you. I don't want to come with you. You're a tool of the Order. Sharpened, and bent. A possession. I refuse to be used. I'm a member of the resistance and that is what I will remain because I chose it. I want to be as strong and powerful as you are, but there are more important things. You have no honor. What is strength without virtue? Without guidance?"

"I suppose we'll see," He stepped aside.

Rey quickly moved past him, just barely brushing his shoulder as she hurried through the trees. The woman waited until she was well in the meadow before turning back. "You're just going to let me go? You're not going to disrupt the mission?"

"I don't have any interest in a group of dissident farmers," Ren replied. "And, I won't force you, Rey." She shivered in the rapidly chilling air as his rich voice transformed her name into a thing of beauty. "But Rey—when I catch up to Skywalker—stay out of my way."

"If you catch up to Luke, you'd better hope that I get in his way," She shouted as she bolted through the field, quick as any deer ever was.

* * *

A/N: And there we go, friendly chit chat. But, not too friendly. Too soon for any of that.


End file.
